Slot restrictions at the main airport serving the Portuguese capital Lisbon have prompted FBO group Omni Handling to expand in other parts of the country. Within the next two or three months, Omni is preparing to open new facilities at Funchal on the island of Madeira and also at Santa Maria in the Azores. Meanwhile, it is seeking to make use of Beja Airport, which is 90 miles from the center of Lisbon and has an 11,319-foot runway.
Plans to build a new main airport for Lisbon at Motijo, which is a 15-minute drive to downtown, have been delayed for various reasons and are now expected to take several more years to complete. In addition to Beja, Cascais Airport, with its 4,539-foot runway is another option for smaller business aircraft.
In December 2018, Omni Handling was acquired by undisclosed new owners and since then has been pursuing a new development strategy supported by fresh investment. According to Omni Handling CEO Ricardo Pereira, these may also include establishing new operations in neighboring Spain.